How to Translate Text in a Photo or Image

Ever stood in front of a foreign menu or street sign wishing you could just point your phone at it? Image translation does exactly that — it reads the text in a photo and translates it for you.

What is image translation?

Image translation combines two steps: optical character recognition (OCR), which finds and extracts the text in a picture, and machine translation, which converts that text into your language. TranslateNow does both in your browser.

How to translate text in an image

1. Open the image translator or the main translator.
2. Take a photo with your camera, or upload an existing image or screenshot.
3. Pick your target language.
4. TranslateNow extracts the text and translates it instantly.

It works for menus, signs, packaging, documents, screenshots, and more, across 50+ languages.

Getting the best results

• Good lighting matters. Clear, evenly lit photos are far easier to read than dark or blurry ones.
• Keep the text straight. Hold the camera parallel to the text rather than at a steep angle.
• Fill the frame. Get close enough that the text is large and sharp.
• High-contrast text reads best — dark text on a light background (or vice-versa).

Common uses

• Travellers translating menus, signs, and tickets
• Students translating textbook pages and handouts
• Shoppers checking ingredients or instructions on packaging
• Anyone translating a screenshot from another app

Try it now

Point, shoot, and read. Open the image translator to translate your first photo, or explore text and voice translation on the home page.